Safety device



EASSSZ siepi. 4, 1923.

J. C. FARMER SAFETY DEVICE A 2 smeshem 1 El f \\n j Flled June 13 `r VL R wsz Sept. 4, i923.

J. Q. FARMER SAFETY ummm Filed auna 1 l 25 2 Smets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

Urerrr .T AllfliSy C. FARMER, 0F RADFORD, VIRGINIA.

SAFETY nnvron.A

Application med June 1 3, 1923. semi No. e45,i33 .f

intersecting the railroad tracks.v y

An important object of the invention is to provide a. gate construction including a 4 pair of verticallymovable arms, the arms being supported in such relation with the roadA surface as to completely block passage thereover.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to cause the arms to move gradually to their active and inactive positions, thereby eliminating any possibility of iiijuring. persons or vehicles passing' in proximity to the gate while the same is in motion.

A still further object ofthe invention is' to provide a stop signal automatically controlled'by the movement of the gate to indicate-to persons that the gate is aboutto be moved to its active position.

VWith lthe foregoing and other objects inview which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination andv arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de'- scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without*A departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1l is a diagrammatical view disclosing the vgate lcontrolling circuits.

Figure 2 is an elevational view disclosing the gate supporting post in section.

Figure 3' is a yvertical sectional view through the upper portion of the gate sup,- porting post and taken on line -8-3 of Figure 2. v

Figure 4' is a sectional view through the -base of the supporting county of Montgomery" and rreference character andto automatically move the gate to its openv osition after the train has passed the road supported on one end H of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a Ysec-tional view takenonline 5`5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional viewtakenon line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, thel 5 designates the rails of a railway track, y acter 6 designates a ing the track.

Thel gate construction includesr a hollow road surface intersectv` `base 7 which is formed with an upwardly extended annular flange 8 designed to' rea ceive the lower extremity of the gate supporting pipe 9. At the upper end of the pipe 9 is a housing 10 which is box-like in` formationy and has kits upper extremity closed by means i They side walls 12 of the housing 'are post taken on line' 'i and the reference cliarof the removable cover 11. v

formed with cut out portions to accommodate'transparent sections 13 through which' thefmovable signal, to bev hereinafter more fully described, may be readily viewed. 7

A flange '-111 is formed integral with one. wall of the base? and is provided with an opening to accommodatethe hollow shaft 15 that is'formedwith a beveled pinion 16 at the vupper end thereof, the beveled .pinion meshing with the teeth ofthepinion 17y of the' rotor shaft' 18, so thatupon rotary movement' of the shaft, the pinions 17 and 16 will be rotated. y

The shaft 15 is provided Lwith internal threads to cooperate with the threads'1`9 of the operating shaft 2O whereupon rotary movement of the pinion 16 will cause a vertical movement of the shaft 20.

As shown, the upper extremity of? the shaft 20 operates through the bearing 21 and has connection with the link 22 which Openings 25r are provided in the sidewalls of adjacent `inner ends of the a'rms 24'. Sup-v porting arms 26 are secured within the pipe i 9 andare disposed in yspaced relation with each other, the supporting arms lbeing formed with openings toV accommodate the .blade so that as Tsik shafts 27 that in turn support the arms 24.

Pivotally connected with the arm 23 is a connecting link 2S that has its upper end pivotally connected between the spaced ears 29 depending from the movable signaling member 30. rlhis movable signaling member includes a frame formed of grooved bars 31 that receive the transparent members 32 on which suitable indicating characters may be provided so thatwhen the signaling member is moved downwardly, the indicating characters will be displayed through the transparent members 13 indicating to persons traveling in proximity to the signal that the road is closed.

Guide rods 33 are positioned within the housing 10 over which guide rods the signaling member' moves to accomplish its purpose. Supported at the upper portion of the signaling member is a bar 34 that supports the socket 35 in which the lamp 36 is positioned, wires 37. being in circuit with the lamp to supply electric energy thereto, eliminating the interior of the housing 10 at all times.

In order that the arms 24 may be clearly visible, openings 37 are provided in the end walls 38 of the housing 10, which openings permit the light rays from the lamp 36 to be projected laterally onto the arms 24.

Mounted within the base 7 is a motor indicated at 39 which is in circuit with a suitable source of electric supply, through the wire 40, which wire are in circuit with the switch members 41 and 4Q so that when the switch members are moved into cooperative relation with each other, a circuit is completed to the motor causing the same to operate the pinion 16 in a manner as described to move the shaft 20, longitudinally of the pipe in which the same is supported.

Mounted within the pipe 9 are spaced switch members 43 and 44, which switch members are of the spring linger type between 4which the bla 'le 45 is adapted to move, the blade 45 being pivotally supported at 46 within the pipe 9 the rear end thereof lyingv in the path of travel of the pins 47 that extend laterally from the operating shaft 2G. A coiled spring 48 has connection with the blade 45 at one end thereof, the opposite end of the coiled spring being anchored to the wall of the pipe 9, vin direct alignment with the pivot point 46 of the the ends of the blade are moved out of alignment with the pivot point 46 thereof, the spring will act to snap the knife blade into engagement with one of the switch members,

In the operation of the device, assuming that a train is moving over the track in lthe direction of the arrow in Figure 2 of the drawings. As the train wheels contact with the switch member at the right of the showing inFigureQ of the drawings, the circuit will be completed to the motor 49 causing the same to operate, which in turn lrotates the pinion 16 to rotate the shaft 20 and move the same downwardly.

As the shaft 2O moves downwardly the arm 23 vis also moved, moving the arms 24 upwardly to their active positions. Simultaneous with the movement of the arms 24 to their active positions, the signaling members moves downwardly to display the indicating characters carried thereby, before the transparent members 13. Upon downward movement of the shaft 22 the uppermost pin 47 contacts with the knife blade 45 causing the same to movel into engagement with the switch member 43. The circuit to reverse the operation of the motor 39 is now partially closed through the wire 5() that is in circuit with the switch member 43, but since the switch member at the left hand. end of Figure 2 of the drawings 1s open, the circuit l to the motor to reverse the same is not closed until the train passing over the rails contacts with the switch member 42 to cause the same to move into engagement with the switch member 41 whereupon the motoris operated in the opposite direction, resulting in a reverse movement of the shaft 2O to move the gate arms 24 and the signaling member to their normal positions.

It might be further stated however that the motor 39 is in circuit 'with the switch member 41 through the wire 51 and the motor is in circuit with the switch member 44 through the wire 52.

lhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a yrailway crossing signal, a supporting member, a housing disposed at the upper end of the supporting member and having guide members, a movable signaling member operating in the housing, a shaft supported in thesupporting member, means n for moving the shaft vertically in the supporting member, means for connecting the shaft to the signaling member to cause the signaling member to move within the housing, and a pair of vertically movable arms operated by the movement of the shaft.

9.. In a railway crossing signal, a housing mounted at the upper end of the'sup-4 porting member and having transparentV walls forming the lower portion thereof, a movable signaling member operating in the housing and adapted to move to positions opposite the transparent walls of the housing to display signals therethrough, a pair of swinging arms supported by the supporting member, and means for moving vthe arms and signaling member simultaneously,

3. In a railway crossing signal, a hollow supporting member, a'housing mounted at the upper end of the' supporting member, guiding members in the housing, a signaling member having guideways adapted to receive the guiding members to permit of vertical movement of the signaling member, said housing having lateral openings, movabel arms mountedon the supporting member, the lateral openings of the housing permitting light rays to illuminate the movable arms, and means within the supporting member for moving the arms and signaling members simultaneously.

4. In a railway crossing signal, a supporting member, 2 1 housing mounted at the upper end of the supporting member, a movable signaling member within the supporting member, a motor disposed at the base of the supporting member, means associated with the motor and having connection with the signaling member for moving the signaling member into and out of operation, a pair of swinging arms mounted on the supporting member, and means having connection with the signal member operating means for simultaneously moving the arms and signaling member.

5. In a railway crossing signal, a hollow supporting member, a housing at the upper end of the hollow supporting member, and having portions of the side walls thereof formed of transparent material, a signaling member movable within the housing, to display signals through the transparent portions of the housing, vertically movable means within the housing and engaging the signaling member for moving the signaling member within the housing, a pair of swinging arms having teeth formed on their adjacent ends, said teeth adapted to mesh to cause a movement of the arms simultaneously and means connecting the arms and the signaling member to move the arms and signaling member simultaneously.

6. In a railway crossing signal, a supporting member, a housing mounted at the upper end of the supporting member, a signaling member in the housing, a pair of swinging arms mounted on the supporting member, a motor positioned at the base of the supporting member, means connecting the motor, swinging arms and signaling member for simultaneous movement, a pair of switch members for controlling the circuit to the motor, and an automatically operated switch member in circuit with the first mentioned switch members for controlling the circuit to the irst mentioned switch members.

7. In a railway crossing signal, a hollow support-ing member, a housing mounted at the upper end of the supporting member, a signaling member in the housing, a pair of swinging arms having their adjacent ends extending into the hollow supporting member, means engaging the arms and having engagement with the signaling member to move the arms and signaling member simultaneously, and electrically controlled means for controlling the movement of the signal and arm moving means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J AMES C. FARMER.

Witnesses G. N. STONE, H. R CLnMnN'rs. 

